Multiple mold charge handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

APPARATUS FOR OSCILATING A SET OF THREE SCOOPS OR CHUTES WHICH DIRECT SEGREGATED MOLD CHARGES OR GOBS OF MOLTEN GLASS TO THREE-CAVITY MOLDS OF A PLURAL-SECTION FORMING MACHINE, SUCH SCOOPS BEING ARRANGED IN TANDEM, OR NESTED, AND EACH HAVING AN UPPER END CONSTANTLY IN REGISTER WITH A BOTTOM OUTLET, OR ORIFICE, OF A FEDDER,THE OSCILLATING MEANS BEING A PARALLEL LINK UNIT DISPOSED HORIZONTALLY WITHIN A RIGID HOUSING OR JACKET, ONE END OF THE PARALLEL LINK UNIT BEING SUPPORTED ON A SHAFT WHICH IS JOURNALED IN BEARINGS WITHIN THE JACKET, WHILE THE OTHER END OF SUCH UNIT IS CONNECTED TO AND SUPPORTED BY A VERTICAL SHAFT, THE LATTER ALSO FUNCTIONING TO ACTUATE THE PARALLEL LINK UNIT.

u. P. TRUDEAU Jan. 5, 1971 MULTIPLE MOLD CHARGE HANDLING, APPARATUS 2Shee ts-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 18, 1968 INVENTOR. URBAN PROBE/w FIG.

A' voawcws Jan. 5, 1971 U, TRUDEAU v I 3,552,942

MULTIPLE MOLD CHARGE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 18, 1968 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

FIG. 5 r5 INVENTOR. URBAN QTRUDQAU BY Q 9 Am K may? United States Patent3,552,942 MULTIPLE MOLD CHARGE HANDLING APPARATUS Urban P. Trudeau,Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Illinois, Inc., a corporation of OhioFiled Dec. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 784,803 Int. Cl. C03b 7/00 US. Cl. 65-304Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for oscillating a set ofthree scoops or chutes which direct segregated mold charges or gobs ofmolten glass to three-cavity molds of a plural-section forming machine,such scoops being arranged in tandem, or nested, and each having anupper end constantly in register with a bottom outlet, or orifice, of afeeder, the oscillating means being a parallel link unit disposedhorizontally within a rigid housing or jacket, one end of the parallellink unit being supported on a shaft which is journaled in bearingswithin the jacket, while the other end of such unit is connected to andsupported by a vertical shaft, the latter also functioning to actuatethe parallel link unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention, in principle,corresponds to the apparatus disclosed in my copending US. applicationfor patent, Ser. No. 681,650, filed Nov. 9, 1967. In the apparatus ofthat pending case, the parallel link unit is both inadequately supportedand unprotected. Hence, not only can particles of glass, etc. fall intoand jam the unit, but beyond that the inadequate support renders thescoops or chutes more or less unstable. Consequently, proper delivery ofmold charges is not a certainty.

Both the inventions of the present application and said copendingapplication are intended for utilization with glass feeder, gob deliverytroughs and a forming machine substantially as disclosed in my copendingapplication Ser. No. 681,651, filed Nov. 9, 1967, wherein I havedisclosed schematically an eight-section IS-type forming machine, eachsection of which embodies a double-cavity blank mold and wherein thereare pairs of inclined gob delivery troughs individual to the molds.

An important object of my invention is to enclose the parallel link unitto a substantial extent in a rigid housing or jacket and interconnectsuch unit and housing so that the latter functions to firmly support oneend of the former. Thus, stability of this end of the unit is assured.Additionally, there is a vertical drive shaft at the other end of theunit which serves the two-fold function of actuating the parallel linkunit and rigidly supporting the adjacent end of this unit.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed outhereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical sectionalelevational view of the apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 22 ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line 33 of FIG.1.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, it is positioned beneatha conventional flow-type feeder 10, which, at regular time intervals,synchronized with the cycle of a plural section forming machine, as inthe later of my identified copending applications, simultaneouslydelivers three mold charges 11, or gobs, of molten glass Patented Jan.5, 1971 ice to the upper, or receiving end 12 of a set of three verticalguide tubes 13, these leading to the upper receiving end 14 of scoops15. These scoops are moved in unison on the axes of the vertical tubes13, preferably, though not necessarily by mechanism (as shown in myearlier copending application), which registers the lower discharge end16 of the scoops with troughs (not shown herein) leading to the formingmachine blank molds, there being three such troughs for each section orblank mold of the forming machine. As stated above, the gob delivery andmovement of the scoops are properly synchronized with the forming cycleof the article forming machine, for obvious reasons.

As shown, the three vertical guide tubes 13 are directly connected to,or formed as integral parts of elements of a parallel link unit 17,which is disposed horizontally, such comprising spaced-apartlongitudinal parallel side bars 18 which are connected together at theirends by a pair of cross-heads 19, or links, and intermediate thesecross-heads are three guide-tube carrying cross-links 20. Pivot pins 21connect the links and cross-heads to the side bars 18. As is apparent,the medial portion of each cross-link 20 may well be an integral part ofone of the guide tubes 13, so that with reciprocation of the side barsin proper fashion, said links 20 will oscillate the scoops 15 on theaxes of the tubes.

The parallel link unit 17 is rigidly supported within and in partencased in a housing 22 or jacket which comprises a roof 23 having avertical opening 24 therein through which the upper charge receivingends of the guide tubes 13 receive mold charges 11 from the feeder.Opposed side Walls 25 and end walls 26 depend from the room 23 Ifdesired, this housing or jacket may be water or air-cooled in anypreferred manner (not shown). There is a short horizontal floor section27 at one end of the housing and a narrow transverse flange 28 at theother end. A pair of vertically aligned bearings 29 on the adjacentsurfaces of the roof 23 and floor section 27 support a vertical shaft 30which extends both above and below one of the cross-heads 19, of whichit may be, and preferably is an integral part. Thus, the adjacent end ofthe parallel link unit 17 is rigidly supported, lending essentialstability to the scoops 15 and insuring proper registry of same with thetroughs which lead to the molds.

The opposite end of the parallel link unit 17 is connected to the upperend of a vertical shaft 31 whichserves the two-fold purpose ofsupporting said end and providing means for actuating said unit. Thisshaft 31 is suitably connected at its upper end to the adjacentcross-head 19 or link at its medial point so that rotary motion of saidshaft actuates the parallel link unit 17 and consequently moves thescoops 15 in unison on the axes of the guide tubes 13. The shaft 31 isjournaled in bearings 32 provided in a vertical cylinder-like housing 33which at its upper end supports one end of the parallel link unithousing 22. It is understood, as indicated heretofore, that this shaft31 may well be operatively connected to a web cam power plant, as in myidentified early copending application.

With the structure described, it is evident that the parallel link unit17 and guide tubes and scoops carried thereby, will be so rigidlysupported that the scoops 15 will accurately register with the deliverytroughs (not shown), thus insuring smooth uninterrupted How of moldcharges or gobs of molten glass to the blank molds of the formingmachine. Also, the mechanism is adequately protected by the housing 22or jacket, against possible damage or jamming, perhaps by pieces ofglass, etc., which, in the absence of the housing, could fall onto theparallel link unit.

Modifications may be resorted to within the scope and spirit of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with apparatus for feeding plural mold charges from aplural orifice glass feeder to a plurality of forming machines, ofcharge distributing means interposed said feeder and machines adapted tohandle plural charges at the same time, a plurality of elongated,inclined scoops having horizontally aligned upper moldcharge receivingends, the scoops being mounted for oscillation in unison on individualvertical axes extending through said upper ends, a parallel link unitfrom which the scoops are suspended, a vertical shaft connected to oneend of the parallel link unit for supporting and actuating same, andsupplemental supporting means for said unit connected to the other endthereof.

2. In a combination as defined in claim 1, the last named meanscomprising a housing for said shaft and a rigid connector between thehousing and opposite end of the parallel link unit.

3. In a combination as defined in claim 1, the lastnamed meanscomprising a housing for the shaft, a jacket for the parallel link unitrigidly supported at one end by said housing and means rigidlyinterconnecting the other end of the jacket and said unit.

4. In a combination as defined in claim 3, the lastnamed meanscomprising a vertical rock-shaft connected to one end of said unit andbearings for the shaft within the jacket.

5. In a combination as defined in claim 3, the jacket having an upwardlyfacing opening through which mold charges fall en route to the scoops.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENT ARTHUR D. KELLOGG, PrimaryExaminer t US. Cl. X.R. 6S225, 243

